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Cranberry Orange Scones

These tender and flaky cranberry orange scones are filled with the bright, festive flavors of orange zest and chewy dried cranberries, with a warm nutmeg glaze. They're perfect for holiday baking!

Prep Time
20 mins
Cook Time
20 mins
Total Time
34 mins
Servings: 8 scones
Calories: 439 kcal
Course: Breakfast
Cuisine: American

Ingredients

For the Scones:
  • ½ cup cold unsalted butter
  • 1 cup all-purpose flour
  • 1 cup white whole-wheat flour
  • 2 teaspoons baking powder
  • ¼ teaspoon baking soda
  • ½ teaspoon kosher salt
  • ⅓ cup packed brown sugar
  • ½ teaspoon cinnamon
  • 2 large oranges zested
  • ½ cup buttermilk
  • 1 tablespoon freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 teaspoon pure vanilla extract
  • 1 large egg lightly beaten
  • ⅔ cup dried cranberries
For the Glaze:
  • 2 cups powdered sugar
  • 2 tablespoons freshly squeezed orange juice
  • 1 large orange zested
  • 2 teaspoons pure vanilla extract
  • ¼ teaspoon fresh nutmeg more if you're a big fan of nutmeg!

Instructions

For the Scones:
    Cup of Yum
  1. Preheat oven to 425°F. Line a baking sheet with parchment paper and set aside.
  2. Cut the butter into 1/4 to 1/2 inch sized pieces, place it in a covered bowl, and let chill in the freezer for 5–10 minutes while mixing the dry ingredients.
  3. In a medium bowl, stir together flours, baking powder, baking soda, salt, brown sugar, cinnamon, and orange zest, breaking up any clumps of zest. With a rigid pastry blender or two knives, cut in the chilled butter until mixture resembles coarse meal with some pea-sized pieces.
  4. Make a well in the center, and then add buttermilk, orange juice, vanilla, and egg. Stir just until combined, taking care to not over mix. Gently fold in cranberries, just until barely combined.
  5. Transfer dough to a lightly floured work surface. Working quickly, knead the dough gently two or three times to bring it all together. Do not over work the dough. Just make sure the dough is sticking together nicely.
  6. Pat dough into a 7-inch diameter circle and cut into 8 wedges. Transfer wedges to prepared baking sheet.
  7. Bake until scones are puffed and golden brown, about 14 minutes. Remove pan from oven and let scones sit on baking sheet for a couple minutes before removing to a wire rack to cool.
For the Glaze:
  1. While scones are still just slightly warm, prepare the glaze. In a small bowl, whisk together all glaze ingredients until smooth. If the glaze is a bit stiff, add another teaspoon of freshly squeezed orange juice.
  2. Drizzle the orange nutmeg glaze over the scones using a spoon, as much as you desire. Allow icing to set completely, then serve.

Notes

  • Try to work rather quickly, so the butter in the dough stays as cold as possible. If the dough gets too warm, the scones will lose their shape more easily in the oven and have a more relaxed appearance with less defined edges.
  • Scones are best eaten on the day they are baked. To revive leftover scones' flaky texture the following day, preheat a baking stone to 300°F in the oven. Then place any number of scones on the stone and warm for 5–10 minutes. If you are planning to eat some of the scones the following day, wait to add glaze until after you have reheated them the next day.

Nutrition Information

Serving 1 Calories 439kcal (22%) Carbohydrates 78g (26%) Protein 6g (12%) Fat 13g (20%) Saturated Fat 8g (40%) Polyunsaturated Fat 5g Cholesterol 54mg (18%) Sodium 284mg (12%) Fiber 4g (16%) Sugar 51g (102%)

Nutrition Facts

Serving: 8scones

Amount Per Serving

Calories 439

% Daily Value*

Serving 1
Calories 439kcal 22%
Carbohydrates 78g 26%
Protein 6g 12%
Fat 13g 20%
Saturated Fat 8g 40%
Polyunsaturated Fat 5g 29%
Cholesterol 54mg 18%
Sodium 284mg 12%
Fiber 4g 16%
Sugar 51g 102%

* Percent Daily Values are based on a 2,000 calorie diet.